A compact fluorescent lamp is normally connected to a mains voltage lighting circuit by way of an integral lamp base which incorporates a power supply in the form of a switch mode converter-inverter. The supply voltage is full-wave rectified and the resultant direct current is fed to an inverter which produces alternating current at a frequency in the order of 40 to 50 kHz.
The converter stage of the conventional power supply includes a bridge rectifier and a reservoir capacitor connected across the dc side of the rectifier. The capacitance value of the reservoir capacitor is chosen to minimise the ripple voltage at the dc side of the rectifier and, as a consequence, current is drawn from the mains supply in the form of a relatively narrow pulse during each half-cycle of the supply voltage. As a result, the supply current contains a large number of harmonics which have the effect of reducing the power factor, producing rf radiation and otherwise creating power generation and distribution problems for supply authorities in areas where large numbers of compact fluorescent lamps are used.
Various proposals have been made for solving the above mentioned problems, including those disclosed and referenced in European patent specification number 0296859 (application no. 88305743.2, dated Jun. 23, 1988) entitled "Power factor correction circuit". However, all known proposals for improving the shape of the mains current waveform and, hence, reducing the harmonic content, have involved circuits adapted to effect prolonged current flow through the bridge rectifier during each half-cycle of the supply voltage whilst maintaining the high value of the reservoir capacitor for the purpose of minimising the ripple voltage at the dc side of the rectifier.